


link should've said no

by tinybeep



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor NSFW, Romance, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), like. link gets a boner minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 20:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19933996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinybeep/pseuds/tinybeep
Summary: Zelda convinces Link to be her guinea pig yet again, but least it forces him to spend time with his royal crush!





	link should've said no

**Author's Note:**

> this is for my dear friend jasper who helped me brainstorm just about every damn part of this story, and took a metaphorical bullet for me in doing some terribly in-depth research into fish anatomy. jasper i love u

He adored Zelda. Really, he did; he stuck by her side, fought, and literally died for her, but when she approached him with that excited, nearly hysterical gleam in her eyes, it took all the strength in his body not to escape out the nearest window. He sat in the princess’s study, idly polishing his gear as he was known to do, the princess across the room at her desk, hunched over as she worked on something or other that had failed to catch his attention. He’d heard the chair scrape and glanced up to see her wide grin as she crossed the room, putting him in his current position, grimacing in anticipation as she stood over him, hands tightly grasping a small journal. 

“Link,” she said, voice hardly able to contain her apparent giddiness. “Would you be willing to help me with something?”

He gulped and set his shield and rag down, signing a simple _with what?_ in question before he agreed to anything, despite knowing he wouldn’t like what she was going to propose and that he was going to agree, anyway. 

“A potion!” She opened the journal and flipped through its pages quickly, shoving it in his face, barely allowing him to register the messy scribbles and tiny sketches before she snatched it back to read herself. “I’ve been designing it for weeks. As you know, Hyrule has been attempting to improve its relationship with the Zoras, but it’s been difficult, considering they are an aquatic species and we, well, aren’t. But this elixir is designed to solve that issue!”

He quirked an eyebrow, as if to say _and?_ Zelda sighed. 

A sheepish smile slid across her face. “Would you mind testing it out for me?” Before she’d finished her sentence, he had already begun to shake his head in refusal. “Please! I promise you it’s completely safe. You know I’d never give you anything harmful.”

His mind jumped to the time she’d made him try an elixir she had concocted that would supposedly function as a stronger heat resistance potion, but had only succeeded in dropping his body temperature and freezing his muscles. Regardless, he had a certain weakness for the Hyrulean princess, and he nodded slowly in agreement. 

* * *

The following morning, she woke him early and dragged him out to the delta east of the castle where the Hylia River met the Lanayru Wetlands. She told him to wear “clothes he didn’t care about,” which didn’t make him feel better about agreeing to be her test subject in the slightest degree, but he followed her out to the river nonetheless. And so there he was, standing ankle-deep in the water, socks and shoes piled neatly by Zelda (who got to remain on dry land), dressed in simple brown trousers and a plain cotton shirt, holding a bottle of a bright, practically glowing green liquid. 

Zelda had her journal at the ready, pencil poised to begin recording the effects of the elixir. She nodded to him excitedly, encouraging him to go ahead and drink the potion. His grimace must have been nasty enough, because she shut her journal with a sigh. “Link, all it’s going to do is enhance your aquatic abilities. It should make you faster and more efficient in the water, that’s all.”

He gave her one last doubtful look before he uncorked the bottle and downed it in one go, trying to taste the (extremely salty) liquid the least he possibly could. His features scrunched in distaste as he handed the bottle back to Zelda, wiggling his toes as he waited for the effects of the elixir to manifest. 

At first he felt nothing, then his body quickly heated, his legs felt like they were turning to jelly, the sun hurt his eyes, and finally he felt himself losing consciousness. 

He woke to Zelda’s worried voice, cracking his eyes open against the harsh sun. When his vision cleared, he saw her kneeling next to him, and although she sounded concerned for his wellbeing, the grin on her face told him that her elixir succeeded in whatever it was supposed to do. He pushed himself into a sitting position, hands struggling for purchase on the muddy gravel below the shallow water. He groaned as she whipped out her journal yet again to take notes. 

“It worked, Link!” He glared, while she giggled. “Well, you weren’t supposed to faint, but other than that, my elixir worked!” 

He was about to ask how she knew, but as he raised a hand to wipe the damp hair off his forehead, he answered his own question. His bangs didn’t thread through his fingers as they should; he brought his hand back down in front of his face to study it and he blanched. His fingers were connected by a thin webbing, nearly translucent in the sunlight. He swiped his hand through the water and saw that yes, they would be rather useful for swimming, and that’s when he saw it. 

The tail. 

The bright green, scaly tail currently glistening in the sun. He realized at that point that he had no legs, and instead had a _fish tail_ connected to his torso, laying gently in the river water. The remains of his trousers laid around him in tatters. He slowly turned his head to face Zelda, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. 

She smiled guiltily. “You also have gills so you can breathe underwater,” she told him, pawing at her own neck in the place where his newly grown gills surely were. 

Lacking the articulacy to form any coherent signs, he merely flailed his arms about as he gestured to his tail, waggling his fingers for emphasis. He hesitantly tried to move his tail, and when he confirmed he raised it, he unceremoniously whacked it back down into the water, splashing the princess. 

“I’m sorry, Link!” She shook her journal to fling the water off. “I said it would enhance your aquatic abilities, didn’t I?” At his unimpressed glare, she sighed and glanced away. “I knew if I told you exactly what this elixir would do, you wouldn’t try it.”

He nodded as if to say _duh_. 

“It worked, though! You’re still in one piece, and you should be a fantastic swimmer.” She gestured to the deeper part of the river. “Go on, swim!”

With a final glare, he turned from her and rather awkwardly dragged himself into the water. He found immediately that being submerged felt much better than exposure to the sun, and he let out a sigh of relief when he sunk up to the neck in the cool water. His wet shirt quickly became irritating and he pulled it off, chucking it to Zelda before he ducked his head under the water’s surface. 

He found that he could see nearly perfectly underwater, blinking his eyes open to see a group of tiny fish flitting about, underwater plants swaying gently in the current, the distorted figure of the princess through the surface of the water. He prepared to swim upwards to take a breath, but found he didn’t need to. His webbed fingers slid over his neck, probing his new gills (which were surprisingly tender; he’d have to remind himself not to touch them again) and grinning. He ran his tongue over his teeth, flinching when he cut himself on his canines– it seemed his teeth were sharper than before. 

He swam around for a moment longer, reaching out his hand to the little fish that swam around him and enjoying the freedom brought to him by his gills. When his head breached the water’s surface, Zelda was scribbling madly away in her journal, face breaking into a huge grin when she spotted him. “Your gills work!” she exclaimed, to which he nodded. 

She made him pull himself back onto the shore and proceeded to flood him with questions, which he did his best to answer, considering his webbed fingers made it more difficult to sign. He managed to communicate to her the best he could, and she made some notes and muttered about making improvements, before she finally acquiesced and told him she was done with him. 

Link was handed a second bottle (already uncorked for him; he felt clumsy using his webbed hands) full of a startlingly pink liquid. “That should make you normal again,” Zelda explained. He shrugged and downed it quickly, noting that it was nothing like the salty elixir of earlier, but instead tasted like cinnamon and felt warm as it went down his throat. He waited patiently for its effects to take hold and for his legs to return, but as the moments passed by, he found that the only change was the growing sensation of something spicy in his mouth. 

Unable to take the burning in his mouth any longer, he thrust the bottle back in Zelda’s hands and dove back into the water, opening his mouth, closing his eyes and sighing with the pleasure of relief, small bubbles floating to the surface. He resigned himself to the necessity of facing the princess again and cracked his eyes open, only to be met with glowing yellow eyes and big, _sharp_ teeth. 

He yelped, more bubbles rushing up to the surface of the river and pushed himself backwards, hands in front of himself defensively. Slowly, he recognized the (huge) figure in front of him and relaxed. Huge, bright red, shark teeth and golden eyes with slit pupils– Prince Sidon of the Zora. 

Link smiled and waggled his fingers in a tiny wave, but Sidon merely stared at him. His pupils were blown wide, teeth bared, body poised and ready to– do what, exactly? Attack? His eyes seemed to be focused on the fish part of Link and he realized, with no small amount of fear, that his friend probably thought he was _food_. 

He swam lower, trying to put his head in Sidon’s line of sight, hoping the prince would recognize him. The Zora swam back a few feet, visibly confused, before his pupils shrank to more of a normal size, and those terrible teeth of his stretched into a grin. “Link!” he said, voice surprisingly clear underwater. 

He returned the smile, nodding enthusiastically, excited both to see his friend and that he realized that he was not, in fact, food. Sidon’s happy expression contorted into one of utter confusion, and, being unable to explain, he pointed to the surface and swam up and over to Zelda. The princess’s anxiety showed clearly on her face but dissipated once her eyes focused on him. “Oh Link, I’m so sorry!" 

As he dragged himself onto the rocky bank, Sidon’s head popped above the water’s surface, startling the princess into a small yelp. She quickly composed herself, straightening her posture as Sidon stood up and exited the water. “Good morning, your highness,” he greeted cordially, smiling brightly.

“Prince Sidon! I did not expect to see you,” she replied, blushing a little as she recalled her initial cry of shock. 

He laughed. “Just going for a morning swim.” He turned his gaze to Link, who was stuck in the shallows of the water, arms folded in discomfort and discontent. “What exactly...are you doing out here so early?”

Zelda’s blush darkened. “We, ah, Link was helping me test a new elixir! It’s meant to help Hylians in the water to hopefully facilitate communication between my people and yours, and as you can see, it worked.” She grinned at Link, and he flicked his tail to emphasize her elixir’s success. “However, it seems that the anti-elixir is not very...effective.” 

Link scoffed. 

“Although it didn’t reverse the first elixir’s effects, it didn’t do anything bad!” Zelda said, voice strained as she struggled to see the bright side. Link pointed to his mouth, sticking out his tongue and fanning it. “Besides it being spicy.”

Right on cue, as if to contradict her, Link’s stomach lurched. He clamped his hand over his mouth, but it wasn’t enough to fight the urge, and he unfortunately brought up his meager breakfast and the remains of the hot pink potion all over Zelda’s shoes. He ignored her scream and wiped his mouth, feeling dazed. 

“Link! Are you alright?” Sidon asked, bending down to rest a friendly hand on his back, eyes shining with concern. He retched a few more times and finally nodded, feeling a little better after ridding his system of the ineffective elixir.

Zelda, caught between sympathy for her friend and disgust at seeing his stomach contents out in the open, grimaced and stepped into the water to rinse her boots off. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated, although she wasn’t all too eager to move closer to him. “I’ll have to mix up a new anti-elixir.”

Sidon stood back to allow Link room to respond. Link did the best he could to ask how long it would take, the skin between his fingers getting in the way and making him feel inarticulate. As soon as she understood his question, Zelda refused to meet his eye. Always a wonderful sign. 

“Well, making the actual elixir won’t take more than an hour, but…” Link sighed heavily and motioned for her to continue. “...I used up some of the last ingredients in my stock making the first one. It’ll take some time to get what I need.”

Link blinked. “Oh, dear,” he heard Sidon say far above him, although he sounded distant; Link felt like he’d been slapped. Zelda had him test a body-altering potion without thinking through a plan for if it failed? He was stuck with half of the body of a fish! 

Apparently getting over her fear of vomit, she crouched in front of him, knees getting wet with river water. “I’ll do everything I can to fix it, okay? I just have to make a quick trip out to the desert.” She took his hands in his. “I’ll make this up to you, Link, I swear. However,” she began, standing. “While I’m out doing that, there is something you can do.”

Link blanched. 

Seeing his face, she rolled her eyes. “Nothing bad! I need the dust from the crushed pearls of an armored oyster. They’re rather difficult to attain, but seeing as you happen to be perfectly fit for the job…”

He looked unimpressed, but before he could articulate a response, Sidon piped up. “Perhaps, princess, I may be of some additional assistance? I can help Link search for and recover some of these pearls; I’m well-versed in Hyrule’s waterways.”

“Of course!” Suddenly, Zelda’s face lit up and she shot a quick grin to Link. “In fact, I think that would be a lovely idea. Would it be alright if Link stayed with you in your Domain until I am able to restore him to normal?”

Sidon beamed. “The Champion is always more than welcome with the Zora!” 

“Thank you, Sidon. Link, I’ll see you as soon as I am able.” She reached down to squeeze his hand again, ignoring Link’s bright blush and wide eyes. He tried to communicate _don’t you dare leave me all alone with the giant hot fish man_ to Zelda through his eyes, but all she did was smile. “Take care of him for me, Sidon!” 

Sidon gave her an affirmative as she ran off, back towards the castle, leaving Link, fish tail and all, alone with the Zora prince. “Link! You look redder than usual– are you alright?”

Link was sure he only colored more, but waved Sidon off. He did his best to blame the sun and wiggled back into the river for emphasis. Sidon joined him, and together they slipped under the river’s surface.

For the first time, Link ran his fingers over his tail. It was colder to the touch than his skin, and was covered with thousands of tiny green scales. He had scars in the same places he had on his legs, including a shallow notch in the bottom tail fin where he had a deep scar between his toes from a nasty lizalfos bite. He looked up to see Sidon watching him, although, thankfully, curiosity showed on his face instead of hunger. _Smooth_ , Link signed to him. 

The prince’s face lit up. “Yes!” he confirmed, and Link was again bewildered at how clearly he could hear Sidon underwater. “Some fish have mucus layers on their tails to protect against infections and parasites. Keeps them smooth.”

Link recoiled at the word mucus. _Snot_ , he signed, and pulled a face. 

Sidon, being more rusty with sign language than Zelda, and generally unfamiliar with Hylian slang for bodily fluids, asked him what he meant. Link brushed him off, and thankfully Sidon let it go. “Well! Let’s head to the Domain, shall we?” 

The small man nodded, and followed Sidon. They swam against the current, northeast and up towards the Zora’s Domain. Sidon was still much faster than him, but Link was able to keep up, propelled by his strong tail (even if it was made more streamlined by _snot_ ). Sidon noticed Link was falling behind him and slowed down, breaking out into a wide grin when he saw what was holding the little Hylian up. 

Link had stopped completely, entranced by the creatures he found himself surrounded by. His eyes were wide as large voltfin trout swam by his face, unperturbed by his presence. He stretched his hand out and lightly tapped a passing fish, fascinated when all it did was wiggle angrily and continue on its way, rather than dart in the opposite direction as they so often did when Link jumped into the water after them. 

Sidon watched with amusement in his eyes, chuckling when his friend caught him observing and flushed. _Sorry_ , Link signed clumsily underwater, eyes looking back towards the fish he’d bothered. 

“Do not apologize!” Sidon said, beginning their trek back to the Domain again, albeit at a slower pace. “It is a completely different world than yours. A second kingdom the princess rules over, and yet is unaware of.” He beamed. “That’s why she trusts us to take care of it.” 

_Can you live outside the Domain?_ Link felt stupid asking the question, but his curiosity got the better of him. Surely there was a reason the Zora kept to themselves. 

The prince thought for a moment. “I suppose it would be technically possible. Zora can survive out of the water, as you’ve seen, but it would be a very uncomfortable existence without easy access to a water source, or at least without a humid climate.” They began to swim harder, fighting the current as the path the river followed grew steeper. “A Zora living in Faron I can see. However, I can’t imagine we’d be able to survive for long in the desert.”

Link nodded in understanding. Obviously the question had been asked out of pure scientific curiosity, and definitely not the selfish desire to see the prince more often than Link’s intermittent visits to his kingdom. The thought of Sidon possibly showing up at the castle to visit him made him smile, which he quickly hid because he didn’t want Sidon thinking he was some idiot who smiled for no reason.

“May I ask a question?” Link nodded again. “Why do Hylians’ faces sometimes grow red?”

He was sure his face flushed once more, but he ignored it. _Embarrassed_ , he signed. _The red is blood going to the face._

“How strange! Zora have no such response to embarrassment.” He laughed. “It sounds awkward.”

 _It is_ , Link confirmed, ignoring the fact that his face was currently comparable to a beet. 

“Oh, well, I apologize for bringing it up.”

Link shook his head quickly. _Don’t apologize!_

Sidon grinned at him again– he was always doing that, smiling at him. It made Link self conscious and excited at the same time; anyone with eyes could tell that Link had a (big) little crush on the Zora prince, and the way Sidon acted around Link didn’t exactly make it unreasonable. 

They arrived in the deep basin of the Zora’s Domain, looking up at the structure itself. It was composed of tall platforms, made up of shimmering columns and glowing stones, creating the illusion of a continuation of the water below. Winding paths twisted every which way, and just to the north, there was a grand waterfall to complete the spectacular view. It was breathtaking. 

Before he could even ask, Sidon swam over to a thinner waterfall that streamed over the edge of one of the platforms. “We swim up the waterfall. I’m sure you’ve done so in your Zora armor, but it may be more difficult in a form you aren’t used to,” he explained. 

Link gazed up at the cascade of water, a little apprehensive. He was confident in his swimming skills as a Hylian, but as Sidon said, he wasn’t used to this body, and therefore wasn’t sure he could swim all the way up through such a tall downpour of water. 

Sensing his hesitation, Sidon grabbed his shoulder gently to grab his attention. “You don’t have to try if you don’t want to. You could just grab on and I’ll swim us both up.” It sounded a little humiliating, but Link had already had a long day. He nodded. 

He held onto Sidon’s shoulders as directed and he held on tight, for as soon as soon as the prince moved, Link almost slipped off. Sidon was _strong_ , and Link felt his muscles flex and contract as he swam to the base of the waterfall. He kicked with an amazing amount of power, scaling the water in a matter of seconds. Sidon’s feet landed on the platform of the Domain with a heavy thud, and Link completely lost his grip, falling off his shoulders and hitting the ground with a wet-sounding slap. 

Sidon grimaced and crouched down to Link’s level, where the Hylian had sat up and was idly flicking his tail unhappily. “I’m sorry,” Sidon said, eyes quickly skimming over him to make sure he wasn’t injured.

He quickly waved off the fall, but gestured to the floor upon which he sat. He patted it, calling attention to its solidity. _I can’t move_ , he signed, frowning with displeasure. 

The prince blinked at him. “I hadn’t thought about that.” Link chose not to add that he hadn’t, either. “I’ll just have to, uh…” he trailed off, but his grabby hands made his intentions very clear. Link felt his face grow hot, but he nodded slowly in agreement. 

He grabbed him under his arms and lifted him easily, holding him completely away from his body with his arms extended. Link’s tail hung limply, frown set on his face, utterly uncomfortable and embarrassed. Seeing that this allowed for horribly strained eye contact, Sidon only took a few steps before he rearranged Link so that he was carrying him bridal style. 

Sidon muttered apologies while Link tried very hard to pretend he were anywhere else. As Sidon walked through the Domain, Link couldn’t help but notice how the other Zora were looking at him– at first he thought it was because they were used to him, y’know, _having legs_ , but soon he saw the look in their eyes. It was the same look Sidon had when he first saw Link; pupils dilated, eyes narrowed, sharp teeth glinting in the light. 

Those who saw his tail must think that he was a huge fish, a fantastic meal waiting to be had. Link wiggled, tapping on Sidon’s arm to get his attention, pointing to the others. _They think I’m food_ , he signed. Sidon looked around, noticing the others, and held Link closer to his chest protectively. 

“Well, I certainly won’t let them eat you.” Sidon grinned his wide, toothy grin at him. 

Sidon took him up a flight of steps into the throne room, where his (even larger) father sat, apparently asleep. Link frowned, feeling like he was intruding upon the King’s personal time. He crossed his arms uncomfortably. 

“Father!” Sidon called, standing before the throne, tall and proper. The huge Zora King woke with a start, eyes eventually focusing on the prince, and, by extension, the Hylian held in his arms. Like all the other Zora he had encountered so far, King Dorephan focussed in on Link’s tail, the hunger evident in his eyes and in his posture. Link gulped. 

“Sidon!” Dorephan rumbled, greeting his son warmly. “What is it that you have, there?”

The prince held Link out again by the armpits to show him off to his father. “It’s Link, Father, the Hylian Champion! Princess Zelda had an experiment go, ah, wrong.”

Link did his best to wave, smiling awkwardly. 

Dorephan’s face lit up with recognition, although he still seemed very confused. “Champion! You have the tail of a fish!”

Link nodded his head, frowning. _The princess did this_ , he did his best to sign. 

Sidon very gently placed Link on the floor, who did his best to sit up straight in the presence of both members of the Zora royal family. “Her anti-elixir did not work, and so Link is stuck like this. The princess does not have the ingredients she needs to make another elixir, and I volunteered to help Link search for what she needs.”

The King looked thoughtful. “That is very kind of you, Sidon.” He looked to Link. “And I am very sorry you are stuck without your legs. I can’t imagine you wanted to require my son to carry you around.” 

Link’s face lit up bright red as he thought about it– he didn’t exactly _mind_ having Sidon lug him around; he just didn’t enjoy having everyone he came in contact with look at him like he would make a lovely breakfast. In fact, he had started to rather enjoy being cradled close to Sidon’s chest as he held him away from the hungry Zora. 

“What is the ingredient the princess needs you to retrieve?” Dorephan asked. 

_Armored oyster pearls_ , Link replied. 

He nodded. “Ah. Hard to find around here, but they should be more plentiful in the sea to the east.”

Sidon looked uneasy. “The Lanayru Sea? It is still swarming with lizalfos, and Link is not yet used to his...altered form.”

Link tapped on Sidon’s leg to get his attention. _I’ll be okay_. He hesitated, breaking eye contact for a moment. _And_ , he smiled gently up at Sidon, _I trust you_. 

The Zora prince returned the soft smile. 

“Good!” The two startled, the moment broken, and quickly turned back to the King. “So. You can leave tomorrow. For today, I think it would be best if you got some rest; as you said, Link is not yet accustomed to his body.”

They both agreed, and Sidon picked him up once more to carry him out of the throne room. _I’m tired_ , Link told him, trying to resist the urge to fully settle into Sidon’s arms and fall asleep. 

“That is quite understandable! You’ve had quite an ordeal today. The Domain has plenty of guest rooms available, fit for Zora, so I believe they’ll suit you as well. Or,” he paused, keeping his face hard set away from Link. “As everyone else seems to believe you are food…”

When Sidon did not finish his sentence, Link tapped lightly on his chest. 

“You could, perhaps, stay in the royal chambers, with me?”

Link blinked up at him, quietly stunned, mind whirring with excitement. 

Sidon quickly backtracked. “Only if you would like to! The decision is up to you– I am merely concerned for your safety, and would hate to have to clear up a misunderstanding, but I understand if you would rather have your own room–”

He tapped on his chest again, grabbing his attention. He grinned up at the prince, and if Zora biology allowed for it, Link was sure he would be blushing. _I would love to stay with you_. 

Sidon’s face practically glowed. “Fantastic! There is ample space for both of us, I assure you.”

 _Just wait until I tell the princess that I got to spend the night with the Zora prince_ , Link thought to himself. 

* * *

Sidon was cool to the touch. His skin wasn’t exactly smooth– not the red part, anyway, being covered in rough scales– but Link couldn’t resist running his fingers over it. They were so close that their breath mingled, foreheads pressed together, desperately clinging to each other in the water. Sidon hoisted him up, placing him on the edge of his sleeping pool, finally level with each other. He wasted no time in moving back in, bridging the gap between him and Link, grabbing him firmly by the waist. 

Though his skin seemed to burn where Sidon’s hands held him, the lips on his and tongue in his mouth affected him to a much larger degree. Link gasped for breath in between kisses, pulling Sidon closer, arms wrapped around his neck. His heart seemed fit to beat out of his chest and his lungs felt like they were collapsing, then Sidon tangled his fingers in Link’s hair and _pulled_ , tilting his head back, and he could feel his pulse pound beneath every square inch of his skin. 

The Zora nuzzled his cheek, trailing down to his neck, and it was all Link could do to keep from begging for him. Carefully, at the junction of his neck and shoulder, Sidon sunk his teeth into his flesh, just enough to break the skin. Sidon’s pupils dilated at the sight of blood and Link could feel excitement thrumming through his veins, and the sensation of Sidon gently lapping at the bitemark was _nothing_ compared to the hand slowly creeping between his legs—

And he woke up. 

Link blinked his eyes open, finding himself at the bottom of Sidon’s sleeping pool, curled up in a corner. He lamented the fact that he awoke; he was having quite a pleasant dream, obviously, and he would much rather be in his fantasy situation than his current one for a multitiude of reasons. However, he was glad that he still had a tail instead of legs, because he was positive that if his anatomy was still all normal he would have an... _issue_ , right about now. 

He looked up to see Sidon was still asleep, floating at the top of the pool in that slightly creepy way that Zoras slept, and Link felt a blush creep onto his face. He was very glad Zoras had no psychic capabilities. He turned to try to go back to sleep, when he caught sight of _something_. 

He nearly choked on his own throat. 

There, between hips and a bit below his waist, well, where it was supposed to be, he thought, was…it. He could hardly bring himself to look at it, let alone describe it. He felt a strange mix of horror at his freakish anatomy and relief that he still had his dick– he kind of wondered where that went– although the freakish thing attached to him almost made him wish he didn’t. 

At least he knew he still had a fully functioning body. This did nothing to comfort him in his current situation, though; he glanced back up to the sleeping Sidon and felt his blush amplify and spread, blood pounding in his face and ears. Hylia knew he was scared to touch it, and even if he did, he wasn’t sure he could make himself, er, _take care of it_ , in his current situation, practically sharing a bed with Sidon and all. 

Of course, having the remarkably attractive fish prince sleeping mere feet away didn’t exactly _help_. He tried desperately to think of things decidedly unarousing. His mind conjured images of the princess (which didn’t help nor make things worse), King Dorephan (which made him worry what he would think if he knew Link had a crush on his son), naked Impa (which started to get him somewhere), and, finally, the shriveled old monks he found in shrines. He’d spent so much energy trying to get rid of his little problem that he’d failed to notice Sidon as he woke up. 

“Good morning, Link!” Sidon said behind him, making Link jump and thank the goddess for letting the shrine monks be old and creepy. He was absolutely sure that his entire body was as red as Sidon’s, but he forced himself to put a smile on his face. The prince frowned. “Are you alright?”

He nodded vigorously. _You scared me,_ he signed clumsily, the adrenaline coursing through his veins making him forget about his webbed fingers. 

Sidon smiled guiltily. “I’m sorry!” He held a hand out. “Would you like to find something to eat?”

Slowly, he took Sidon’s hand, trying desperately not to think about where his hands were heading in his dream. He pulled him up with him as he swam, and their heads popped up above the water. 

The prince pulled himself out of the pool easily and stood, turning to leave when he remembered Link’s unfortunate situation. Link floated at the edge of the pool, frowning up at Sidon. _Can’t walk_ , he signed. 

Sidon crouched. “Hmm,” he hummed, thinking. “Perhaps it would be easiest if I found some food and brought it back here for you.” 

Link nodded. _Sorry_. He reached out to touch Sidon’s hand. _Thank you_. 

He smiled and stood. “You have nothing to apologize for! You could never trouble me. I will be back as soon as I can!” And with that, he left the room. 

Link sunk back down underwater, resting gently on the floor of the pool. He held out his hands, looking at their weird webbing, gently flitted his fingers over his gills, careful not to hurt himself, kicked his powerful tail. He really had to learn how to say no to Zelda, although getting to spend time with Sidon wasn’t exactly a downside to his predicament. 

He was staring up at the top of the water, lost in thought, when Sidon’s distorted figure appeared standing over the pool. Link quickly swam to the surface, greeting his friend with a bright grin. _Hungry_ , he signed, eyeing the tray of food Sidon held. 

Sidon laughed and set the tray down. Link heaved (struggled) himself out of the water, sitting on the floor. Sidon sat across from him, cross legged, and set a plate from the tray in front of Link, taking the other for himself. “I remembered Hylians eat more than just fish,” he said, gesturing to Link’s meal. “Unfortunately we don’t have much more than that here, but I was able to find this.”

Link looked down at his food; sticky rice balls, undoubtedly stuffed with fish, wrapped in seaweed. He grinned up at Sidon. _Thank you! It looks delicious_. 

Sidon returned the smile, and they ate in comfortable silence. 

* * *

The Lanaryu sea was technically very close to the Zora’s Domain, but, unfortunately, there was a cliff separating them. The easiest way for them to travel was to follow the river back down to the Lanayru Wetlands, then swim along the river that ran east. From there it was just a matter of a small plain to cross, and then they would be able to jump into the sea. 

They had made the journey along the river with ease, but once they arrived at the spot where they would need to cross the land, their adventure got a little tricky. Link had no legs, and therefore he couldn’t walk. Fortunately, Sidon had thought of this as they plotted their course, and he and the King came up with a solution; a backpack. 

King Dorephan gave Sidon a large sack made of lizalfos skin that was large and strong enough to carry a small Hylian, along with a pair of tridents for safety. It was currently slung over Sidon’s shoulder, empty, but when they arrived at the riverbank, Sidon took the bag off and flashed Link a sheepish look. 

He knew that Link was not exactly _thrilled_ at the idea of being carried in a bag. 

Nevertheless, Link handed Sidon his trident and fit himself into the bag. “Sorry,” Sidon said, putting the bag back over his shoulder and neck, albeit with great care. Link just took back his trident and all but pouted, wiping the hair out of his eyes as Sidon walked out of the water. 

The stretch of land wasn’t very wide, only about thirty yards or so, but Link had never felt time pass more slowly. The sun was hot, he was jostled as Sidon walked, and every step he took caused the remaining water in the bag to slosh over the sides. He could feel Sidon turning his head to try to glance back at him every so often, though he made a point not to look.

After what felt like forever, they reached the bay that would take them out to sea. Sidon (finally!) took off the bag and placed it in the water, and Link was out in an instant. He stretched his arms and kicked his tail, happy to be free again. Sidon watched him with amusement, diving into the water himself. 

“Link,” he called, catching his attention. “Now, these oysters should not be terribly difficult to find out at sea, but the sea will likely be more dangerous than the rivers or this bay.” He waved his trident. “Lizalfos are as efficient in the water as I am, so it is important to watch your surroundings. 

He nodded, just a bit exasperated. He tucked his trident under his arm and signed, _I know. I’ve faced them before._

Sidon frowned. “I do not mean to doubt your abilities! You are my friend and I would hate to see you hurt just because you are in an unfamiliar environment.”

Link’s features softened. _I want you to stay safe, too._

“We will watch out for each other! Come, let’s collect those pearls.”

As they swam out to sea, Sidon described the oysters they were looking for. He said they were dark in color, purple or blue, but had a distinctive shape that seemed to mimic a shield. He had no idea how to pry them open to retrieve the pearls, but they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. 

They dove deep as they swam, staying only a few feet above the seafloor. Normally the pressure would be killing Link’s head, but he felt perfectly fine– another advantage of Zelda’s elixir, he supposed. They glanced up at the top of the water every so often; lizalfos liked to stay on the surface, and they were beginning to spot them as they swam further out. 

When they were about a ten minute’s swim away from the entrance to the bay, they spotted their first oyster. They swam to hover over it, examining it for possible ways to open it. It was about the size of Link’s hand, dark blue, and shaped like a crest. Link set down his trident and picked it up, turning it over. He tried to pry it open with his fingers, but, predictably, it wouldn’t budge. He knocked it against a rock, which also did nothing. Shrugging, he handed it over to Sidon. 

Sidon also tried to pry it open, to no avail. He put it in his mouth and bit it, pulling a face as he did so. Link laughed and the prince rolled his eyes, turning the oyster as Link had. Finally, he gave it back to Link, declaring, “I have an idea.”

He had Link hold it tightly while he wedged the prong of his trident between the two halves of the oyster. Sidon wiggled the trident, trying to force it in deeper, Link struggling to keep his grasp on the oyster. Finally, Sidon had made enough progress to work the trident inside, and with a final twist and a crack, the oyster opened. 

Link plucked a shiny silver pearl from the meat of the creature that lived within the shell. He handed it to Sidon, who put it in a small pocket he had attached to his belt. He grinned at Link, who returned the smile. “How many of these do we need?”

The question caught Link off guard– he had no idea. He shrugged and signed, _I don’t know. Let’s get a lot, to be safe._

“Good idea.” 

They swam along the seafloor, prying open oysters and collecting their pearls, always keeping an eye out for any unfriendly creatures. For the most part, all the sea life steered clear of them, save a few curious fish.

The pair was far enough out to sea that they had begun to worry less about the known threats at the top of the water and more about what could lay in the depths. The fish got larger and larger the deeper they went, and although size wasn’t exactly something that could offput Sidon, Link was starting to get nervous when they came across creatures who were bigger than he was. _I think we should return soon_ , he signed to Sidon. _It’s creepy._

Sidon chuckled. “Okay.” His eyes lit up. “Let’s collect the pearl from that last oyster, then find the princess, shall we?” He pointed to an oyster, nestled within some seaweed. 

Link nodded and picked the oyster up, holding it securely. They had gotten quite efficient at prying the shells open; they made fantastic team (Link certainly thought so). He’d set his trident down, bracing the oyster against his chest as Sidon worked the shell open when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. 

He had no idea how far down they were, but it was certainly deep enough that he wasn’t quite able to spot all the creatures at the top of the water. They hadn’t been paying close attention, their caution drawn elsewhere, and Link’s heart sank as he saw the silvery humanoid heading straight for Sidon. 

The lizalfos swam fast; at least, faster than Link was able to shove the oyster away and sign a warning to Sidon. The Zora was only able to catch the panic in his eyes before the lizalfos sunk its teeth into Sidon’s headfin. Sidon cried out in pain and shock, rearing his head back, wrenching the creature off of him. Link may not have been quick enough to prevent the monstrous lizard from attacking Sidon, but he easily made up for lost time; before the lizalfos could even think about inflicting more damage, Link had sunk his trident into its shoulder. 

He yanked the trident free of the lizalfos’s flesh and plunged it into its throat, promptly ending its life. A quick glance around showed Link that they had bigger problems; their fight and the smell of blood seemed to be attracting others. 

Luckily, Sidon had recovered, but this did nothing to change the fact that there were a half-dozen lizalfos of all colors headed straight for them, excluding the now-corpse floating creepily in the water. They were coming at them from all directions, and Link made a quick decision and swam up.

They all watched him, eyes away from Sidon, who was still on the seafloor. He saw Sidon’s eyes narrow as he targeted the lizalfos closest to him, taking advantage of the distraction Link had provided. Link, meanwhile, utilized his smaller size and quick reflexes; he speared another through the vertebrae at the top of the neck between its helmet and body armor, the combination of his powerful tail and momentum of the downwards attack allowing Link to swing himself under the creature’s body. He wrenched the trident out of its body in time to surprise another lizalfos, plunging his weapon into the same chink in the monster’s armor. 

He came face to face with a particularly ugly blue one, pulling up his trident to impale it through the throat just as it prepared to swipe at him with the sharp boomerang in its hand. He turned, poised and ready to take on another when his luck ran out. 

Link felt the slimy tongue wrap around the wrist just a heartbeat before he was pulled through the water, straight into the grasp of a waiting lizalfos. His eyes widened as he struggled, realizing the monster had him by the arm he was using to hold the trident. He sorely wished for legs to kick out at the lizalfos with, but he was only able to thrash as another creature swam up from underneath and sunk its sharp teeth in his side. 

The first lizalfos finally let go of his wrist, but he was unable to do much, as it had knocked the trident from his hand with its own spear. The second lizalfos tore at his shoulder with its claws and Link grit his teeth in pain, but fortunately this moved him enough that the thrust of the monster’s spear missed him. He struggled as much as he could, but this only made the lizalfos tear more into his skin, and he begun to completely panic as the creature readied its spear again. 

However, before it could strike, it was hit by a huge, angry, crimson mass. Sidon slammed into it, tearing at it with his own teeth, clamping his deadly jaws around its throat. The final lizalfos saw Sidon turn and released its grasp on Link, and before it could even swim away, Sidon had speared it through the stomach with his trident. Link threw himself away from the lizalfos corpse, hand clamped over the bleeding wound on his side. 

Sidon grabbed Link by his good arm and dragged him away, swimming back towards the shore. Link glanced back to see the bleeding, lifeless lizard bodies, floating eerily in the water, alongside the trident he’d dropped and the oyster they never got the chance to open. Once Sidon felt they were far enough away from the carnage they stopped, but only for him to direct Link to hold onto him so he could take them back to land more efficiently. He wrapped his arms around Sidon’s neck, groaning when he moved his injured shoulder, but did not complain. 

The only injury Sidon had sustained was the initial bite to the head, Link noticed. Of course; Sidon was much more accustomed to moving and fighting in the water, but the thought only made Link lament his situation further. On land he was perhaps the strongest warrior in all of Hyrule, but in water he was practically a damsel in distress. 

Sidon was quiet as they swam, keeping low to the floor as they had done on their journey out to sea. He paid extra attention to the enemies at the top of the water, but they either didn’t notice them or decided it was not worth it to pick a fight. Link sighed, trying not to focus on the pain emanating from his wounds. 

After what felt like forever, they arrived at the shore where they had initially slipped into the bay. Link let go of Sidon, and the Zora prince gently scooped him up. He winced as the movement aggravated the wound on his side, but otherwise kept a tight rein on his reactions as Sidon lifted him out of the water. He placed him gingerly on the beach and retrieved the bag he had used to carry Link from a large rock he had left it on. He opened a side compartment and pulled something out– bandages. 

Link pointed to Sidon’s head, attempting to convey his message of _you first_ without using any real signs, too tired to try. Sidon shook his head. “It really didn’t hurt me that bad,” Sidon said. He touched his hand to his wound and pulled it away, showing Link his clean palm. “It isn’t even bleeding anymore.”

He looked down at himself, at the deep bite stretching across his waist and stomach, the claw marks scratched into his shoulder and arm, bleeding freely now that they were out of the water. He frowned. _Wound_ , he signed, pointing again to Sidon’s head. 

Sidon sighed, eyes trained on Link’s injuries, but handed him the bandages and crouched next to him. He grabbed a pad of cotton and held it against Sidon’s bite mark, wrapping it with gauze. He did his best to keep his face neutral as he tied off the bandage, not wanting Sidon to see how badly his wounds were affecting him for fear of worrying his friend more than necessary. “Link,” he said simply, his voice soft. Link gave him the bandages back. 

He bit his lip, eyeing the depth of the bite on Link’s side. The bleeding on Link’s shoulder had slowed, but blood continued to flow out of the bite. He held a hand over the wound as best he could, offering his shoulder for Sidon to bandage, ignoring the blush that rose on his face as Sidon’s gaze flitted over his body.

Link tried not to watch, but was unable to look away as Sidon treated his wounds. He splashed more water onto his shoulder, clearing away the blood that had begun to dry, and pressed a bandage to the worst of the scratches. He wrapped his arm and shoulder, a frown deep set on his face, not meeting Link’s gaze. He moved Link’s hand from his side to examine the wound and sighed. “Oh, Link,” he whispered. 

He grabbed a length of gauze and wadded it up to press against the bite, trying to staunch the bleeding. He held it there, against his side, his frown deepening. Link tapped him to get his attention, and when Sidon’s eyes met his, the emotion he saw nearly choked him. Link swallowed, but tried a smile. _I’ve had worse_. 

Sidon merely looked away. “It pains me to think of all that you’ve been through.” Very gently, he rested his forehead against Link’s. “You are my dearest friend. I hate to see you hurt.” 

Slowly, he brought a hand up to rest against Sidon’s cheek, grimacing when it smeared blood on his face. He nodded.

“I knew that the sea was dangerous, but I grew careless.” He sat back and checked the bleeding, then began to wrap his side tightly. 

Link shook his head. _Not you_. _Not your fault._

He smiled sadly as he tied off the bandage. “I knew that you are not as comfortable in the water as I am, and now you’re hurt.” 

He grabbed his face again, pulling him back down so they were eye to eye. Slowly, deliberately, he shook his head.

The Zora sighed again, and Link was struck with an overwhelming desire to lean in and kiss him. Sidon was quiet, obviously disagreeing with him, but not wanting to press the issue. He was only smearing blood on Sidon’s face where he touched him and raising his arm to hold him aggravated his shoulder, but he ignored both things as he planted a gentle kiss on Sidon’s cheek. 

Eyes stinging with tears that refused to fall, he trailed his fingers over the bandage on Sidon’s head. _I’m sorry,_ he signed, not meeting his gaze. 

“For what? It wasn’t your fault.”

Link shook his head. _It was. I saw it but I couldn’t tell you._ He bit his lip, his hands shaking. _I should just talk._

“It is _not_ your fault! Your being mute is as much a part of you as anything else. There’s no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different if you had spoken.”

He shook his head again, more forcefully. _It’s faster to talk than to sign. You could have heard me and you would not have been hurt. Technically I am not unable to speak._

Sidon grabbed his hands. “Link,” he said, softly. “The hypothetical doesn’t matter. The fact is that you do not speak, and that’s just who you are. Just like everyone else, you have unique struggles. I do not blame you, and you should not blame yourself.” 

He glanced up at him, seeing the faint smile and softness in his eyes, the emotion there, for him. Slowly, Link nodded, resting his forehead against Sidon’s once more. They stayed like that for a moment, eyes closed, quiet. 

Finally, Sidon sat back. “We should get back to the Domain so we can contact the princess and properly dress your wounds.” A pointed look made him speak up again, “ _Our_ wounds.”

He held the bag open and Link wiggled himself inside, staying tucked away as Sidon carefully slipped it over his shoulder. Link stayed there as Sidon walked, mind playing their conversation over and over, remembering the way Sidon squeezed his hands, how cool his skin was when he kissed him. He couldn’t even find it within himself to complain about how undignified he felt being carried in a bag by a prince. 

Once they reached the river on the other side of the plain, Sidon let him back in the water. His bandages were immediately soaked, but their wrappings held strong. Sidon swam slowly with him, staying by his side, guiding him. Swimming upstream was difficult and painful, but they managed it and soon they were back to the Zora’s Domain. 

On the way inside, he heard Sidon stop to talk to a guard, requesting that he send word to Zelda. Sidon took him back to the safety of his room and helped Link out of the bag. He leaned against a wall, tired, still clutching his side in pain. Sidon left briefly and he returned with another Zora who was carrying a box full of what he assumed were medical supplies.

He didn’t complain as the Zora removed his bandages, but he squirmed when they poured antiseptic over his wounds, gritting his teeth as it stung. “I’m sorry,” the Zora said, offering a sympathetic smile. “It would be easier to give you an elixir, but I am afraid we don’t keep any on hand for travelers.”

“Perhaps it would be worthwhile to build up a store,” Sidon said offhandedly, redressing his own wound. Unlike Link, he did not visibly react as he disinfected his wound. Instead, he quickly put on a fresh bandage and returned to his friend’s side, crouching next to him as the medical Zora worked. Soon enough Link was rewrapped in bandages and left to heal, the Zora leaving promptly after Sidon nodded to them. 

Link glanced up at Sidon, tired and aching, but happy to be back in a familiar place. Link smiled, but Sidon looked back at him with a frown, some indiscernible emotion evident in his eyes. _What’s wrong?_ he signed, tugging at Sidon’s hand. Sidon’s eyes met his and he tensed, swallowing deeply.

He followed Sidon’s gaze as it flitted over his body, and he quickly grew self conscious. He crossed his arms, cheeks flushed, but he was drawn out of his embarrassment as Sidon’s large fingertips trailed over his shoulder. He looked up at Sidon, brows furrowed in confusion, but he was cut off before he could begin to sign any sort of inquiry, “I had never noticed your scars before. You’re usually clothed when I see you.” Sidon’s voice was very quiet, barely above a whisper. “You have so many.”

He uncrossed his arms, looking down at his own body. Sidon was right; he had more scars than he could count. From the large burn scar on his shoulder, the puncture wound in the small of his back, the cuts and scrapes on his hands, to the chunk of his tail that was torn, he hardly had any inch of skin that wasn’t marred in one way or another. _I don’t remember where half of them are from._

“Oh, Link.” Sidon’s voice was thick, rough, and it hurt Link to hear. “You deserve far better than the life you’ve been given.”

 _It’s not so bad. I have you, don’t I?_ He smiled, grasping Sidon’s hands for emphasis. He returned the smile.

Sidon leaned down and kissed the scars that littered the back of Link’s hands, then flipped them over and kissed the ones on his palms. Link gasped, transfixed, blood rushing in his ears. He made his way up his arms (skipping over his injured shoulder), gently pressing his lips to every scar he found. He was sure he could feel his heart beat wildly beneath his skin as he trailed over his chest, continuing all the way down to the tip of his tail, meanwhile Link could hardly remember how to breathe. He sat closer, head against Link’s. “My dear, I hate to think of all the things that you have been through.”

Link swallowed, hard. _Then don’t_. He leaned up, mouth mere inches away from Sidon’s. He took a deep breath for courage, then moved to close the gap–

“Link!” a voice shouted, practically bursting through Sidon’s door. None other than Princess Zelda stood in Sidon’s doorway, seemingly oblivious to their current situation. “Where are the pearls?”

Sidon stood quickly, looking rather flustered. “Oh! Um, right this way, if you would, princess,” he said, guiding her out of his room. Before she left, Zelda turned back to look at Link, eyes wide, smiling giddily. He waved her off, rolling his eyes. 

* * *

He was left alone, and when the prince and princess came back into the room, it felt like hours had passed. Zelda had a bag with her, and Sidon stood rather awkwardly behind her, sheepish. Regardless, Zelda crossed the room easily and crouched next to him. 

“I promise this will work this time,” she said, pulling out an elixir that was glowing the same horrendous shade of pink as the failed one had. “Well, if it doesn’t, I have enough ingredients left to try again.”

Link took the bottle from her and eyed it cautiously, swirling it around a few times.

She opened her bag and pulled out a pile of clothes, setting them next to him. “You’ll need something to wear when you get your legs back. And you _will_ get your legs back.”

He drank the potion, swallowing it all in one go, handing the bottle back to Zelda when he was done. It still tasted like cinnamon, but as he waited, he never got the spicy aftertaste. His tail started to feel tingly, almost like it had fallen asleep, and soon enough, his vision began to fade out and his head hit the wall behind him as he passed out. 

When he woke up, he was laying flat on the ground and his head hurt. He sat up, seeing that his clothes were placed in his lap and he was otherwise naked, but his tail was finally gone and his legs had returned. He wiggled his toes and grinned, looking up to see Sidon and Zelda, who was giggling. “I told you you’d get your legs back!”

He rolled his eyes and motioned for them both to turn around while he got dressed. After he buckled his belt and pulled on his boots, he tapped them both to regain their attention. _It’s good to stand,_ he signed.

“You don’t feel dizzy? Your legs feel fine?” Zelda had her notebook out, pencil at the ready. He nodded, kicking his legs out to prove that he felt okay. He walked a circle around the room when Zelda directed him, sat down and stood back up, even did a few jumping jacks before she was satisfied that he was completely returned to normal. “You can come back home now, Link!’ 

He nodded again, but hesitated. _Can you give me a moment?_ Zelda looked confused and he bit his lip, face flushing. _With Sidon?_

“Oh! Of course. I’ll wait out in the Domain for you.” With that, she left.

He smiled nervously, standing before Sidon. _Thank you for all your help._

Sidon returned the smile, although he seemed far more at ease. “Of course! I am always happy to help you.”

 _I enjoyed spending time with you_. He shifted from foot to foot anxiously, unsure how to bring up their almost-kiss.

“Any time I spend in your presence is good time. Although I am happy you’ve been restored to your true form, I can say that I am a little disappointed that you will be returning to the castle.”

He moved a few steps closer. _I can always use a companion on an adventure._

Sidon smiled sadly. “I know the castle is not far, but I will still miss you while you are away.”

 _Then I will give you something to remember when I leave_. He motioned for Sidon to come closer. The prince leaned down and Link stood on the tips of his toes, cupping his face to pull it closer to his. 

This time he actually did cross the space between them, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. It was a little awkward, what with how much bigger Sidon was than him, but it was still exactly what Link had been hoping for. Sidon smiled against his lips and Link slid his arms around his neck, pulling him even closer.

“LINK!” The door was thrown open again and the two jumped apart, Link’s face flushing brightly.

 _Hylia, woman!_ he huffed, signing angrily, _What do you want?_

Zelda had that dangerous gleam in her eyes once more, and her smile seemed too wide. “I had an _idea_.” Link paled and hoped he had learned his lesson in the dangers of being unable to say no to the princess.

**Author's Note:**

> i know sm about fish sex now


End file.
